


Sometimes

by captain_smthg



Category: DCU, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Self-Esteem Issues, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_smthg/pseuds/captain_smthg
Summary: Song is Sometimes by Britney Spears.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> Song is Sometimes by Britney Spears.

Robin met Ladybug first on her awards ceremony.

After 4 years of fighting the Parisian villain, Hawkmoth, the Justice League finally saw fit its time they introduced themselves to the Parisian heroine— Ladybug and explain their lack of presence from the past four years. On behalf of Wonder Woman (who is also veey disappointed she cannot be the one to meet with her mother's successor to the Ladybug Miraculous) — which is at the time on a very urgent mission with Superman— Batman introduced himself to Ladybug. Batman brought Robin with him of course, as he thinks Ladybug may be more forthcoming with them if she saw someone her age.

Especially she just lost her partner.

Well, you see— Chat Noir died on the Final Battle against Hawkmoth. He sacrificed himself to protect Ladybug, just like he always do.

Only this time, the heroine of Paris hadn't been able to bring him back.

The Awarding Ceremony also doubled as memorial to Chat Noir. All of Paris cried all the while, mourning the cat superhero. There are a lot of black roses being put at a separate statue the Parisian's made just for him. Even the skies seemes to cry with them for its been raining ever since the defeat ot Hawkmoth, not a single ray of sun shine comes through the dark skies.

Even then, no one there had cried harder as Ladybug.

And that is the first glimpse Robin would have to the woman he will fall in love in the future.

* * *

For quite awhile, Ladybug wouldn't be seen by anyone.

Which is not a surprise really, for the heroine made it clear she doesn't want anything to do with saving the world gig again.

Until one year later, when a new villain no one had heard before emerged. A very powerful Egyptian priestess who had risen from the grave, who almost brought the world and the Justice League on its knees.

Until Ladybug came to help them at the last minute.

Suddenly, the tide of war waged against the villainess turned into their favor.

After all that is said and done, Justice League had invited Ladybug to join them.

Somehow, she accepted.

* * *

To show the ropes of "being a super hero" to Ladybug and give her a proper training (as Superman insisted), Batman had enlisted Robin to teach Ladybug because despite Diana's insistence that Ladybug should be taught by the Amazonian's— Batman thinks Ladybug would benefit more if she is taught by someone who had no knowledge of magic as she seemed adept enough at using her own.

Thus, combat training without lasso of truths.

Robin is apprehensive at teaching her at first, of course. In fact, he doesn't understand why she would even need it when Ladybug's strength seems to lie in her creativeness and cunning smarts. However, Superman seemed to insist she get formal training because "creativeness could only get you so far" seemingly to forget that it was Ladybug who helped them win the past war.

Whatever.

Damian relented later on and taught Ladybug everything he knew about combat. It had been very fast, too because she seemed to learn faster than he thought.

In no time at all, she can already beat him into fights.

During that time, he learned of her civilian identity— Marinette Dupain-Cheng and the generic information about her. He also learned other things of course, such as she loves the color pink, sewing, baking and also singing softly under her breath when she's really relaxed. She's also really good with animals and could rival Dick in the sunniest person he ever knew.

It was one year later, just right before Robin went on another mission with Batman, that Ladybug confessed something to him.

She's in love.

_She's in love with him._

What a great way to say goodbye to someone who can't stomach emotions just before they went into a life-and-death mission right?

So of course, all he could think about while he is not being stabbed and knocked in the head by the enemies is her parting words to him.

* * *

_"I'm done."_

_"Done what?"_

_"Done being a coward. Done playing pretend that being friends is all I will ever think about you. Done being scared of the past. I don't care about what people will say anymore."_

_"Marinette." Damian glared, annoyed and impatient because Batman is waiting and Marinette is talking nonsense. "Can't whatever you wanna say wait? Everyone is waiting for me."_

_Marinette stared at him, long and hard, seemingly at war whether she really want to say something at him after all._

_Finally, she stepped forward and leaned towards him, kissing him in the cheek._

_"I love you, Damian. Have been for a while. As much as I would like to say more, I'm afraid this is where I need to cut it now. I just..." Marinette trailed off, looking all around but him and stepping back slowly. "Just scared it will happen again, that someone I love will die without them ever knowing about it."_

_Even without further elaboration, Damian immediately know what— or who is she referring to._

_"Marinette, I don't know—"_

_Marinette had cut him off before he could say anything else, shaking her head all the while speaking. "No, no, Damian. I'm not asking you to love me back. I respect you and our friendship. I can be perfectly fine with whatever direction we will go. Just telling you that... I l-love you. That's it. Just want you to know."_

_As if she just doesn't drop a bomb over his head, Marinette smiled like the sunshine that she is. "You know what? Forget it now. We can talk later. They're waiting for you. Go now."_

_With that, she called for her transformation and was gone in a minute._

* * *

As she promised, Marinette respected his space and let Damian freak out in the Manor for a month. He kept thinking why someone like Marinette would fall in love with him. Is it a prank? Is she being serious? Why in the blazing hell would she fall in love with Damian? Why the fuck him? There are a lot of civilian and superheroes falling at her feet. Goddamnit, even Poison Ivy's son forgets human language if she so much look at him.

Meanwhile, all his brothers teased him maybe Marinette confessed to him because they all noticed his change of mood ever since that day. He denied it, of course. They have no in hell way of knowing she actually did just that.

Or maybe they didn't need to? Maybe Marinette is that obvious and his brother's sort of just connected the dots from his reaction?

_Damian don't fucking know._

Once Damian finally decided he'd had enough hiding (though he won't admit what he did is hiding), he finally went out and decided to do some training and patrolling.

Of course, he saw Marinette.

But its not her appearance or presence that freaked him out more, its her treatment towards him. Like they're _just friends._

Like she didn't just confessed to him and turned his world upside down.

Like she's not fucking affected at all.

Because Damian had been so affected.

From then on, he started to see Marinette in a different light. He noticed things he didn't see in her before.

Like how her lips looks so glossy, like she it had been sheathed in sheer velvet. It looks so supple and soft and Damian is very tempted to bite into it, just to see if it would feel the same as it looks like. Or maybe the way the light will hit her dark hair in just the right angle, making it appear midnight blue. Or the way her eyes looks so bright it looked like she put stars in them.

Its fucking ridiculous.

Because Damian Wayne had never spent much time thinking of a woman like this before.

But she's all he can think about it. The way she did things. The way she had been so nice to everyone. The way she would always have an epic comeback at his one liners.

Until one day, while out patrolling with her, he jolted back in realization that he was just thinking about how it would be like if he gave this a shot.

Almost immediately, he banished the thought into his head.

But alas, the seeds have been planted. He started thinking about waking up beside her, kissing her, holding her hand, watching Titus and Ace with her or perhaps having a baby with her.

Damian really needs to calm down.

He had spent enough time with Starfire to know what this all means.

Damian is developing feelings for Marinette.

And that is what scares him the most, isn't it?

Because falling in love with her would mean he will need to bare it all to her, secrets and all.

And when it comes to secrets, Damian has no shortage of them.

Would she still love him despite his past? If she knew how many bloods are being carried by his hands, would she still look at him like he hung the moon and the stars and all that is there in the universe? And what if some form if his past came back to haunt him and Marinette got caught in the crossfire?

He didn't even know what to think of this anymore.

Marinette is kind and forgiving. She will give you chances even if sometimes you don't deserve it. Of course she'll understand that Damian Al Ghul is not the same as Damian Wayne. Or that she is strong enough to handle her own against villains.

But still.

This fear is as rational as Jason's Lazarus Pit's induced rage.

"Maybe you should take after her example, don't be a coward and be straightforward. I'm under the impression that tact is not one of your strong suits." Jason suddenly appeared right behind his shoulder and Damian instinctively threw a batarang which the older boy dodged splendidly.

"What the fuck, Todd? What the hell are you doing here? And what are you talking about?" Damian demanded and dusted his shoulders while eyeing the laughing Todd.

"You do realize you just said all that monologue out loud, right?" Jason inquired, eyebrows raised in mirth.

All the blood in his face disappeared and Damian wanted to puke. Did he really said all that out loud?

Jason laughed once again and put an arm on one of his shoulders annoyingly. "Yes. That too."

"The thing is," Jason continued, sighing exaggerately to mock his problem before shifting his expression into something more serious, "Pixie Pop loves you for who you are _right now._ You are shitting your pants for nothing, you little demon. Go ahead and tell her how you feel. If disclosing your past really matters to you, then go and tell her that too and you'll prove all your insecurities wrong."

Just like that, Jason left him to sit alone in his thoughts.

* * *

_You tell me you're in love with me  
Like you can't take your pretty eyes away from me_

Damian dinged the doorbell to Marinette's flat and waited for her to open it. He's pretty sure that even if its close to midnight already, she'll probably be awake finishing a dress or something. Damian had never approved of her working herself to death when she's fully immersed in a project, not sleeping or eating until she finished it.

He pressed the buzzer once more and breathed deeply, repeatedly muttering in himself his mantra even before he came here.

**Don't be a coward.**

Suddenly, he heard a commotion and with his trained ears, he felt Marinette moved to open the door. 

Just like that, all his insecurities came back.

What is he doing here? He should probably go. Maybe that confession had been a prank, after all? What will Marinette say?She'll probably laugh in his face. Besides, she had not shown him any interest aside from that confession.

Damian turned around muttering to himself how much he need to think this over.

Its too late, though. Marinette had opened the door and called out to him.

"Damian? What are you doing here?"

Turning around slowly to further delay the inevitable, he fidgeted at the boquet of pink roses in his hand and plastered a painful smile on his face that probably came out more as a grimace.

Fuck nerves. And fuck Todd. His cursing is rubbing off of him.

_It's not that I don't wanna stay  
But every time you come too close I move away_

"Uhhh, nothing. I happen to be around and think maybe... I'll drop by?" Damian said (asked?) her.

Inspecting him from head to toe, Marinette raised an eyebrow before smiling brightly, letting him inside her apartment.

Once inside, Marinette quickly rummaged in her kitchen to prepare them both coffee. Damian doesn't think he needed more coffee as nervous as he is. However, his mouth is too clammed shut to say anything.

Seating across from him, Marinette glanced at the boquet in his hand. "What was that?"

Damian, whose nerves were on fire ever since he set foot on her complex, jolted at the sound of her voice. Under different circumstances, he'd berate himself for being jumpy or how his mother had raised him better than this.

As if the boquet had burned him in his hands, he threw them at Marinette's lap and breathily said "For you."

Looking at him weirdly, Marinette gingerly picked the roses from her lap and cradled them gently as she stood up to look for a vase and set the flowers there.

"Okay, so. What is the agenda? Need help with something?" Marinette asked Damian as soon as she's back and took a sip of coffee.

_I wanna believe in everything that you say  
'Cause it sounds so good_

"ThethingthatyousaidattheManorisittrueorareyoujustprankingme?" Damian said all in one breath.

Straight away understanding Damian, Marinette spurted coffee all over her camisole at the unexpected topic. She had no idea Damian still thinks of that.

To be frank, she honestly thought he had forgotten all about it.

How wrong she was.

"Well?" Damian asked, which came out more as a demand. Wincing internally, he cleared his throat and asked his question more calmly this time. "Are you speaking of the truth back then?"

Marinette wiped herself clean, gratefully accepting the handkerchief Damian is holding out on her right now. She slowly wiped herself clean, mulling over her thoughts.

After all, she did say they'd talk about it. And she planned to bring it up somehow. Not just now anyway.

She never knew he'd put much thought into it.

Gods, is he angry at her now? Is this the point where he is going to reject her and tell her he'd never like her ever?

Straightening up and meeting his eyes, Marinette said "Yes."

_But if you really want me, move slow  
There's things about me you just have to know_

"I've been thinking about it." Damian started and pushed back the coffee a bit away from him. Marinette likewise had put her coffee down and pushed it away from her. "I'd like to give it a try."

Is he saying what she thinks he's saying?

"W-what do you mean?" Marinette looked at him dumbfoundedly, fiddling with a metallic ring hanging around her neck. Damian eyed the movement and wondered if the ring means anything to her.

"I want to give it a try. See where this will go. I..." Damian hesitated, wondering if he should tell her this already. "I think I'm... developing feelings for you but—"

"Ses. Yure. Somecool. I mean, Awesome. Yeah." Marinette hastily replied and smiled sweetly at him, now understanding their situation a little bit better even if its reducing her into a stuttering mess she used to be with Adrien.

Damian ignored her slip but instead looked at her gravely. Like he's about to deliver the news of death. She decided to quell her bubbling excitement for now.

"No, Marinette. I want you to know something about me first. I need you to know who are you getting involved to." Damian stated, brushing up a hand on his now messy hair.

Its the first time she saw Damian's hair messy and she think he couldn't be more handsomer than he is now.

"What is it?" She asked.

And so, Damian told the tale how Bruce met Talia and how he has been conceived, the League he grown up in and about his not normal childhood.

_Sometimes I run  
Sometimes I hide  
Sometimes I'm scared of you_

Towards the end of his narration, Marinette is already moved to tears, her heart is aching about the life Damian has grown up in and what could have been. Now, she understands him more than ever, and she honestly appreciates him more.

She couldn't be more proud of him.

"Damian." Marinette called for his attention, commanding him to look into her eyes.

Raising his eyes from watching the dark depths of the coffee, the black liquid being a canvass to his thoughts, Damian slowly lifted his chin as Marinette gently guided him to look in her eyes. Finding nothing but genuine happiness for him, Damian startled into her expression. Catching him off guard, Marinette reached for him across the table and hugged him tightly.

"I'm proud of you Damian. I'm so happy for you. You are not your mother. Her blood in your veins does not make you like her. Always remember that. The child is different from their parent. You have your own will to forge your own path different from theirs." Marinette whispered in his ear.

Just like that, all his insecurities and doubts are gone. Not just about her but also with himself. Almost like Marinette's faith in him despite knowing her past fueled his confidence, making him believe that he can be someone better and his past will not dictate his present and future.

Damian hugged her back with all his might, and maybe its the comfort of her vanilla and cinammon smell or the athmosphere, but for the first time in his life, he cried on a woman's shoulder.

And if Marinette teased him about it, he'll just say that she cried, too.

_But all I really want is to hold you tight  
Treat you right, be with you day and night_

Suddenly, the early rays of sun blinded him and Damian realized they had spent the whole goddamn night talking and now its sunrise.

He had a feeling he just made the best decision he will make in his life ever.

_Baby all I need is time_

**End.**


End file.
